Léo Caniaux: “Balancing effort and ego”

Muscle size can sometimes be inversely proportional to ego size. Léo Caniaux, 22, with shoulders as broad as his smile, comments humbly on his own results : “I’m the French University Champion, and that’s great, but these are still just baby results when compared to other championships.” Still, quite an impressive start! 145 kg in the bench press, 225 kg in the squat, and 252.5 kg in the deadlift… Heavy lifting, as they say… And above all, a nice French championship title! The fifth of the year for this powerlifting team led by Dominique Sorgato.

"The Fear of Doing Nothing"

Still relatively unknown in France, powerlifting—often associated with bodybuilding or weightlifting— "involves repeating three lifts with the heaviest possible weight, " explains Léo. For each movement (squat, bench press, deadlift), the athlete has three attempts to lift the weight they’ve declared, always withthe fear of “failing” in the back of their mind—in other words,“failing the first attempt; worse yet, if you fail all three, it’s disqualification! It’s a sport where you have to balance your effort and your ego.”

A rugby enthusiast since the age of 14, it was through physical training that Léo Caniaux discovered his aptitude for strength sports. Two years ago, this master’s student in sports science—who had briefly studied philosophy—stepped off the field to devote himself to weightlifting. “It’s a rapidly growing sport. Every year, the number of licensed athletes increases and records are shattered.” Léo’s only regret is the sometimes suspicious gaze from the public and other sports: “People cry ‘doping’ every time someone stands out.”

"Records are being shattered"

Strength training is now an integral part of Léo’s life. He trains four times a week for at least three hours each session, not to mention rugby, which he has never really given up, since he serves as the strength and conditioning coach for two teams in Nîmes and Lunel. “It’s not always easy to balance sports and school, but I’m really enjoying it… " It’s a passion he intends to turn into a career, since after his master’s degree, Léo plans to become a strength and conditioning coach… And why not for rugby players!

UM athletesUM the top of their game!

The University of Montpellier honors its medalists from the World, European, and French University Championships at an annual ceremony organized by SUAPS. Read the profiles of these champions who juggle the demanding dual life of being both a student and an athlete. Read all the profiles…